ESPN writers have voted, and of a possible 53 votes, LeBron received 35 that he will win the MVP this season
LeBron James:
LBJ was finally crowned king of the regular season, winning the MVP vote after finishing ninth, sixth, second, fifth and fourth in his first five years. Cleveland broke through with 66 wins, and might need an encore to get LBJ his second Podoloff Trophy. And overall the stakes are higher than ever, given last May's disappointment, the Cavs' Shaquisition and LeBron's looming free agency. Still, more than half of our experts consider King James likely to continue his MVP reign.
ESPN has also paneled its writers and asked them to vote on the best and worst off-season acquisitions, Shaq showed up on both lists.
Best:
O'Neal (2nd, 8 votes)
Witness this: Seven of our voters -- and Cleveland's front office -- are banking on a motivated Shaq to take the Cavs to new heights. Although some wonder whether Shaq can take a backseat to LeBron or handle Dwight Howard come playoff time, there's no question there's still some Diesel left in the tank. Adding his post presence to a team that won 66 games last season without one makes Shaq's mission -- "Win a ring for the King" -- look highly possible.
Worst:
O'Neal (4th, 4 votes)
Although eight members of our panel think Shaq could help the King win a ring, four feel Cleveland's big Shaquisition will be a big flop. He may be the most talented running mate LeBron has had, but with 1,100-plus games on his knees and without access to the Suns' miracle training staff, the Big Daddy may revert back to the injury-prone ways that haunted him in Miami.
Time will tell what the season brings. Personally I think that Shaq will help the Cavs this season. He won't need to do much but clog up the paint, grab a few boards and take feeds while LeBron draws all the attention of the defense. But since he is winding down his career and is in the last season of his contract, might help LeBron make the decision to leave Cleveland in 2010.
So even if Shaq is great for the Cavs this season, ultimately he could also spell the beginning of the end for the Cavs and LeBron.
